Hours vs Miles

[DAY]

Is there some rule of thumb on used tractor hours? In cars/trucks we know a five year old vehicle with 25,000 miles was owned by the proverbial "little old lady who only drove it to church", and the same car with 100,000 was a traveling battery salesman, with a half ton of samples in the trunk.

Is a 5 year old CUT with a 100 hours the one that little old lady only drove to her mailbox and back? Is one with a 1000 hours (200 a year- less than 4 hours week) a beater, or just as good?

I realize that looking over the machine is the only way to tell its condition. Were those hour meters put on as a reminder when the next service is due?

 

[teg]

Been asked a couple of times... also read post number 20 of this thread:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/192284-operating-hours.html

...as to your "...little old lady..." comment. What if she never changed the oil in the car for those 25000 miles? How many times did the oil get changed in the 100 hour tractor? or is there 5 year old oil in there? Should have been changed at 50 hours for break in.

 

[dennis52]

Pretty sure it's 100 hrs equals 3000 miles- rule of thumb only

 

[smstonypoint]

Is a 5 year old CUT with a 100 hours the one that little old lady only drove to her mailbox and back? Is one with a 1000 hours (200 a year- less than 4 hours week) a beater, or just as good?

I realize that looking over the machine is the only way to tell its condition. Were those hour meters put on as a reminder when the next service is due?

No expert here, but I suspect the answer to your first question is -- "It depends." Assuming the higher hour tractor has been properly maintained and serviced and has not been "abused," it has thousands of useful hours left. Of course, some wear items (e.g., tires) may need replacement sooner on the higher hour tractor. You would expect the estimated differences in remaining useful life, repair costs, etc. to be reflected in the prices of the two tractors.

This link provides some info on the estimated salvage (resale) values of tractors according to their age and annual hours of use. These are ag. tractors (utility and above HP), so I am uncertain as to the extent to which the info is useful for CUTs and SCUTs.

Estimating Farm Machinery Costs A3-29 November 2009

Steve

 

[DK35vince]

In my opinion condition is just as important as hours.
I have seen some nice machines in very good condition with a couple thousand hours.
I have also seen a few 300 hour machines that were beat up pieces of junk.

 

[tom4018]

My truck has a hour meter and it averages out to about 45 miles for the hours on it.

 

[LD1]

My truck also has an hour meter.

But I am only averaging ~ 33miles to the hour

I am currently @ 100,000miles and ~3000 hours on said truck.

So that would be equal to the earlier poster who said 100hours = 3000miles:thumbsup:

 

[DAY]

The original question popped into my head as a result of a price comment yesterday that 850 was a lot of hours on a used CUT. John Deere has a 2000 hour "warranty", so 850 doesn't seem too much. But, yes, condition is everything- a yearling that's been "rode hard, and put up wet" pales beside one of those nags that haul the carriages in New York's Central Park. . .

 

[bigbull338]

ok im going to say it if the trasctor your looking at has 100hrs on it an its 5yrs old.then that means the oil has prolly been changed once.but being 5yrs old id drain an change the oil.besides that tractor is barely broken in.if you want to compare miles to hours,then i have a tractor with over 20,000 hrs on it.so using those figures it would have close to 1,000,000 miles on it.

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

I would also say that a lot depends on overall conditions - you need to take other clues on how it was used and what the user is like into account.
I deal with machinery with a lot of the same engines as our tractors - JD, Perkins, Cat, Isuzu, Kubota - you name it.....Ive seen people get 10K hours out of an enigne which also happens to be worked hard - 50hrs a week - by a contractor and others who have blown them up before they gotten more than a few hundred hrs at an average of only 5hrs/week of use by a facility who "should" have the best maint. ability, but have operators who don't take any care / responibility......

 

[boggen]

a tractor is a multi purpose unit. it greatly depends on what it has been used for. if it has a FEL (front end loader) with say bail spike or general duty bucket on the front. vs no FEL with just a finishing mower on it, vs no FEL with plow, disc, plants being pulled behind it, vs... etc... etc... etc...

an hour meter, gives an idea how long the engine has been on and running. and if talking to a single owner tractor. can get a better idea of what the tractor was used for. in attempt to figure out what might be more worn down.

hour meter is only part of the overall notation. hour meter to me = when i need to do oil changes, air filter checks, etc.. granted buying a used tractor. and not knowing the last owner/owners schedule and maintenance intervals is a different story.

 

[bdeboer]

Another thing to consider is that some hour meters increment based on engine RPM. Therefore a tractor turning 1500 RPM running a loader all day will not increment the hour meter as fast as a tractor turning a mower at 2500 RPM all day.

Something I would consider if knowing how the tractor was used.

 

[oldnslo]

Is this a lawn mower / CUT or a farm tractor?

I used to figure that 500 hrs per year on my farm tractors was what I needed to justify owning them. This was in the 70's and early 80's. Not sure with todays prices what the hours per year should be for ownership.

My tractors didn't always look pretty but they where always maintained so looks can also be some what deceiving. Had neighbors that would wash there equipment before storing it but oil was something you only washed off and didn't change.

You may to dig a little deeper than the hour meter.
Does it look like drain plugs have been removed?

Are the oil filters still original.

Is there still paint on the grease fittings?

etc..

Roy